NVIDIA T1000 8 GB vs NVIDIA Tesla P4 Comparison

The NVIDIA Tesla P4 and NVIDIA T1000 8 GB are both end-of-life workstation cards with a single-slot footprint and no power connectors, but they represent fundamentally different approaches to GPU design. The data shows one clear benchmark head-to-head, two distinct architectural generations, and a set of tradeoffs that hinge on compute throughput versus display functionality and power efficiency.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The only direct benchmark comparison available is Geekbench Vulkan, and the results are decisive. The NVIDIA Tesla P4 scores 40,309 points, while the NVIDIA T1000 8 GB scores 34,561 points. That is a 16.6% advantage for the Tesla P4, and it is the sole head-to-head win in the dataset, giving the Tesla P4 a 1–0 record in direct comparisons. The margin is substantial, but the context matters: Vulkan is a low-level graphics API, and the Tesla P4’s lead here suggests its larger shader array and wider memory bus dominate in compute-heavy graphics workloads.

Looking at the broader benchmark landscape, the Tesla P4’s average benchmark score is 37,628, placing it at the 81st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070, which scores 37,648 (a 0.1% difference), and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 at 37,507 (0.3% ahead of the P4). The Tesla P4 is essentially tied with these modern cards in average performance, despite being from an older generation. Meanwhile, the T1000 8 GB averages 34,561, sitting at the 79th percentile, with its closest rival being the NVIDIA A2 at 34,690 (0.4% higher) and the AMD Radeon HD 7970 at 34,541 (0.1% lower). The T1000’s average score is about 8.1% below the Tesla P4’s average, which is a meaningful gap when considering the two cards side by side.

The Geekbench OpenCL result for the Tesla P4 is 34,947, which is lower than its Vulkan score but still within a few percent of the T1000’s 34,561 Vulkan result. This suggests that the T1000’s performance is not categorically inferior; rather, it excels in different API environments, or the Vulkan test favors the P4’s architecture specifically. The data does not include an OpenCL score for the T1000, so a direct comparison there is impossible, but the available numbers indicate the Tesla P4 is the stronger performer in raw compute tasks.

Architecture Differences

The Tesla P4 is built on the Pascal architecture, using the GP104 chip fabricated on a 16 nm process from TSMC. It packs 7,200 million transistors into a 314 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 22.9 million per square millimeter. The T1000 8 GB, by contrast, uses the Turing architecture with the TU117 chip on a 12 nm process, also from TSMC, but with only 4,700 million transistors on a 200 mm² die, giving it a slightly higher density of 23.5 million per square millimeter. The smaller die and fewer transistors explain the T1000’s lower power draw, but they also cap its compute ceiling.

The compute configuration is where the gap widens dramatically. The Tesla P4 has 2,560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. The T1000 8 GB has just 896 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. That is a 2.86x difference in shader count, a 2.86x difference in TMUs, and a 2x difference in ROPs. The clock speeds tell a different story: the T1000 runs at a 1,065 MHz base and 1,395 MHz boost, while the Tesla P4 runs at 886 MHz base and 1,114 MHz boost. The T1000’s clocks are roughly 20–25% higher, but that is nowhere near enough to offset the massive core count deficit.

Memory subsystems also diverge. The Tesla P4 uses 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, delivering 192.3 GB/s of bandwidth at 6 Gbps effective. The T1000 8 GB uses 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 160.0 GB/s at 10 Gbps effective. The Tesla P4 wins on bandwidth by about 20%, which is critical for memory-bound workloads. The T1000’s GDDR6 is faster per pin, but the narrower bus limits total throughput.

Feature support is identical in terms of API compatibility: both support DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. Neither has RT cores or tensor cores. The most notable architectural difference beyond raw specs is the FP16 capability. The Tesla P4 delivers 89.12 GFLOPS FP16, which is a 1:64 ratio relative to FP32, meaning FP16 is essentially a token feature. The T1000 delivers 5.000 TFLOPS FP16 at a 2:1 ratio, making it fully capable of double-rate FP16 compute. This is a significant advantage for the T1000 in any workload that leverages FP16, such as certain AI inference or image processing tasks.

Where Each One Wins

The Tesla P4 wins outright in raw compute throughput. Its FP32 performance is 5.704 TFLOPS versus 2.500 TFLOPS for the T1000, a 2.28x advantage. Pixel rate is 71.30 GPixel/s versus 44.64 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 178.2 GTexel/s versus 78.12 GTexel/s. For any task that saturates the shader array or memory bandwidth—3D rendering, scientific simulation, heavy graphics workloads—the Tesla P4 is the clear choice based on the numbers. Its 16.6% Vulkan lead and 81st percentile ranking reinforce this.

The T1000 8 GB wins on efficiency and practicality. Its TDP is 50 W versus 75 W for the Tesla P4, a 33% reduction in power draw. It also has display outputs: 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a, while the Tesla P4 has no outputs at all. For a workstation that needs to drive monitors, the T1000 is the only option. The T1000 also has a lower boost clock advantage in raw frequency, and its FP16 performance is 56x higher than the Tesla P4’s FP16 output, which could be relevant for specific FP16-optimized applications. The T1000’s smaller physical footprint—156 mm length versus 168 mm—and lower height (69 mm) make it easier to fit in compact chassis.

The data does not show a single benchmark where the T1000 beats the Tesla P4, so its wins are inferred from architectural advantages and practical features rather than direct test results. The T1000’s 79th percentile ranking is respectable, but it trails the P4 by two percentile points, and its nearest rival, the NVIDIA A2, is only 0.4% ahead, suggesting it sits in a crowded performance band.

The Verdict

For compute-bound users, the NVIDIA Tesla P4 is the superior product. The data shows a 16.6% lead in Vulkan, a 2.28x advantage in FP32, and a 20% bandwidth advantage. Its average benchmark score of 37,628 places it in the 81st percentile, essentially tied with modern cards like the RTX 4070. If the workload is headless—server-side rendering, batch processing, or any task where display output is irrelevant—the Tesla P4 is the obvious pick.

For users who need a display output, the T1000 8 GB is the only viable choice, as the Tesla P4 has no outputs. The T1000 also draws 33% less power, which matters in dense multi-GPU systems or low-power workstations. Its FP16 capability is a differentiator that the Tesla P4 simply cannot match, making it a better fit for FP16-accelerated workloads. However, the T1000’s 2.500 TFLOPS FP32 and 160.0 GB/s bandwidth are significant compromises, and its 79th percentile ranking reflects a lower ceiling.

Neither card is a clear winner across all criteria. The Tesla P4 dominates raw compute and bandwidth, while the T1000 offers efficiency, display connectivity, and FP16 throughput. The choice depends entirely on whether the workload is compute-only or requires a visual output and lower power consumption. The benchmark data favors the Tesla P4, but the feature set favors the T1000 in practical workstation scenarios.

FAQ

Q: Which card performs better in the Geekbench Vulkan test?

A: The NVIDIA Tesla P4 scores 40,309 versus 34,561 for the NVIDIA T1000 8 GB, giving the Tesla P4 a 16.6% lead.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference between the two cards?

A: The Tesla P4 has an average benchmark score of 37,628, while the T1000 8 GB averages 34,561, a difference of about 8.1% in favor of the Tesla P4.

Q: Does the T1000 8 GB have any compute advantage over the Tesla P4?

A: Yes, the T1000 delivers 5.000 TFLOPS FP16 at a 2:1 ratio, while the Tesla P4 delivers only 89.12 GFLOPS FP16 at a 1:64 ratio, making the T1000 far more capable in FP16 workloads.

Q: Can the Tesla P4 drive a display?

A: No, the Tesla P4 has no display outputs, while the T1000 8 GB has 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a.

Q: How do the power requirements compare?

A: The Tesla P4 has a TDP of 75 W, while the T1000 8 GB has a TDP of 50 W, making the T1000 33% more power-efficient.

Q: Which card has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The Tesla P4 has 192.3 GB/s of bandwidth on a 256-bit bus, versus 160.0 GB/s on a 128-bit bus for the T1000, a 20% advantage for the Tesla P4.

Specification Differences

| Specification | NVIDIA Tesla P4 | NVIDIA T1000 8 GB |

|---|---|---|

| Architecture | Pascal | Turing |

| Chip | GP104 | TU117 |

| Process Node | 16 nm | 12 nm |

| Transistors | 7,200 million | 4,700 million |

| Die Size | 314 mm² | 200 mm² |

| Transistor Density | 22.9M / mm² | 23.5M / mm² |

| Base Clock | 886 MHz | 1065 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 1114 MHz | 1395 MHz |

| Memory Type | GDDR5 | GDDR6 |

| Memory Bus Width | 256 bit | 128 bit |

| Memory Bandwidth | 192.3 GB/s | 160.0 GB/s |

| Shading Units | 2560 | 896 |

| TMUs | 160 | 56 |

| ROPs | 64 | 32 |

| Pixel Rate | 71.30 GPixel/s | 44.64 GPixel/s |

| Texture Rate | 178.2 GTexel/s | 78.12 GTexel/s |

| FP32 Performance | 5.704 TFLOPS | 2.500 TFLOPS |

| FP16 Performance | 89.12 GFLOPS (1:64) | 5.000 TFLOPS (2:1) |

| TDP | 75 W | 50 W |

| Display Outputs | No outputs | 4x mini-DisplayPort 1.4a |

| Length | 168 mm | 156 mm |

| Height | Not specified | 69 mm |

| Release Date | 2016-09-12 | 2021-05-05 |

| Predecessor | Tesla Maxwell | Quadro Volta |

| Successor | Tesla Volta | Workstation Ampere |

| Generation | Tesla Pascal (Pxx) | Quadro Turing (Tx000) |